Baseball Downs Wagner, 7-3, Advances to NEC Championship

The Central Connecticut baseball team defeated Wagner, 7-3, in an elimination game at the Northeast Conference Championship on Saturday at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, CT. The Blue Devils used a five-run fifth inning and got another solid starting pitching performance to advance to the championship round. Central improves to 28-21 and advances to the championship against top-seeded Bryant on Saturday at 4:15 p.m.

Senior Patrick Mitchell, who tossed a complete-game shutout at Wagner on May 4, kept the Seahawks in check through the first three innings, allowing just two singles and ringing up three strikeouts. Freddy Sabido led off the bottom of the fourth with a triple to the gap in right-center and scored on a ball back up the middle by Will Johnson to make it 1-0.

The Blue Devils responded by pushing across five runs in the fifth. Junior Chandler Debrosse led off with a single and moved to third after sophomore Sam Loda laid down a bunt and the Seahawks threw the ball away to put runners on second and third. A wild pitch would bring home Central's first run before the Blue Devils rattled off four straight hits. Sophomore TT Bowens singled in a run to make it 2-1. Junior Dave Matthews sent a double to centerfield that scored Loda and moved Bowens to third. Junior Buddy Dewaine and sophomore Jake Siracuse hit back-to-back RBI singles to make it 4-1 with no outs. The Seahawks would go to a bullpen, but sophomore Peyton Stephens drew a walk to load the bases before junior Chris Kanios hit a sac fly to center field to make it 5-1.

Wagner would claw back with two outs in the fifth inning with a pair of runs. A two out single by Emil Matti moved Johnny Kampes to second. A walk would load the bases for Tyler Sanfillippo who singled to left field and drove in two runs to cut the CCSU lead to 5-3.

CCSU would load the bases in the seventh with two outs, but an inning-ending double play would end the threat. Central came back in the eighth to load the bases with an out. Sophomore Matt Bertochi led off with a double and Debrosse folled with a single. Following an intentional walk to Bowens, Matthews drew a walk to force in a run and make it 6-3. With the bases still loaded, Dewaine lofted a sac fly to left field to make it a four-run game. 

Mitchell came out or the ninth but after a leadoff single, senior Jared Gallagher came on in relief. After allowing a walk, he would record the final two outs to close out the game.

Mitchell went 8.0 innings for the win and scattered seven hits. He allowed three runs, while striking out six and walking two.

Dewaine went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Matthews also drove in two runs. Debrosse and Bowens added two hits each, while Stephens went 3-for-4 in the game.